Be the Change
This is dedicated to the kids I went to High School with.
The Holidays Are Over Again
11 months ago
Friday, September 11, 2009
Prodigy Says Jay-Z Sides With The ‘Evil Illuminati’
On the day of his release of his historic Blueprint 3 album release, its funny that I finally found out about this story!
Like he does in his monthly blog on Vibe.com, the incarcerated Prodigy recently spewed more of his conspiracy theories via a handwritten letter to URB. This time, he reveals the moment his eyes were opened to the sham he calls “the government, religions, politics, the Federal Reserve, and I.R.S.”
According to P, in 1996, after reading a book by Dr. Malichi Z. York titled Leviathan 666, he was moved so much, he cried, and that was his “moment of clarity.”
“I was crying for all of humanity, but mostly for my black people ’cause I then realized it was all a sham,” Prodigy writes in his letter to URB. “The government, religions, politics, the Federal Reserve, the I.R.S., and everything that we believe and live by is a joke.”
Check out the rest on Aftermath News!
On the day of his release of his historic Blueprint 3 album release, its funny that I finally found out about this story!
Like he does in his monthly blog on Vibe.com, the incarcerated Prodigy recently spewed more of his conspiracy theories via a handwritten letter to URB. This time, he reveals the moment his eyes were opened to the sham he calls “the government, religions, politics, the Federal Reserve, and I.R.S.”
According to P, in 1996, after reading a book by Dr. Malichi Z. York titled Leviathan 666, he was moved so much, he cried, and that was his “moment of clarity.”
“I was crying for all of humanity, but mostly for my black people ’cause I then realized it was all a sham,” Prodigy writes in his letter to URB. “The government, religions, politics, the Federal Reserve, the I.R.S., and everything that we believe and live by is a joke.”
Check out the rest on Aftermath News!
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
A War For Your Soul-Birmingham version
A high school and college educator for nearly twenty years, Reginald Bullock, the visionary creator behind Erisai Films and the short video, “A War For Your Soul,” has always had an interest in working with the youth and getting young people to utilize their full potential. “A War For Your Soul,” is an independent, nonprofit, 15-minute film aimed at African-American youth. The Bronx native’s latest release infuses African-American history with today’s current events, and expresses how they relate, inspiring youth to look critically at themselves and, at the very least, facilitating meaningful discussion amongst our at-risk youth. In turn, this film has enabled him to work, at a larger scale, with at-risk youth regarding topics and interests that are relevant to them. “A War For Your Soul” is vastly sweeping the nation, as many African-American leaders and organizations have endorsed the film and given it great reviews; this includes various churches, multiple colleges and universities, as well as youth organizations. Reginald Bullock’s primary interest remains in helping out our youth. For more information about interviews, or to set up speaking engagements for Reginald Bullock, please feel free to contact Ms. Lee at nadine@speakthedream.org
A War For Your Soul-Birmingham version from Erisai Films on Vimeo.
A high school and college educator for nearly twenty years, Reginald Bullock, the visionary creator behind Erisai Films and the short video, “A War For Your Soul,” has always had an interest in working with the youth and getting young people to utilize their full potential. “A War For Your Soul,” is an independent, nonprofit, 15-minute film aimed at African-American youth. The Bronx native’s latest release infuses African-American history with today’s current events, and expresses how they relate, inspiring youth to look critically at themselves and, at the very least, facilitating meaningful discussion amongst our at-risk youth. In turn, this film has enabled him to work, at a larger scale, with at-risk youth regarding topics and interests that are relevant to them. “A War For Your Soul” is vastly sweeping the nation, as many African-American leaders and organizations have endorsed the film and given it great reviews; this includes various churches, multiple colleges and universities, as well as youth organizations. Reginald Bullock’s primary interest remains in helping out our youth. For more information about interviews, or to set up speaking engagements for Reginald Bullock, please feel free to contact Ms. Lee at nadine@speakthedream.org
Monday, July 20, 2009
"Whip it Like a Slave"
After hearing about this on here, I had to check it out.
It's your standard mindless Dirty South jam with a chopped up chorus; not as offensive as the original poster made it out to be.
After hearing it, I dont know if I can launch the same diatribe that the other guy did. If anything, it was more dumb than offensive. Better yet, its too dumb to be offensive. Thats it.
After hearing about this on here, I had to check it out.
It's your standard mindless Dirty South jam with a chopped up chorus; not as offensive as the original poster made it out to be.
After hearing it, I dont know if I can launch the same diatribe that the other guy did. If anything, it was more dumb than offensive. Better yet, its too dumb to be offensive. Thats it.
Friday, May 22, 2009
THE SCOTTISH INVENTED RAP? I DONT THINK SO!
According to this article, black people didn't invent rap? No, it was the Scottish!
Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel aren't going to be too pleased about this.
Professor Ferenc Szasz, of the University of New Mexico is arguing rap battles were invented by the Scots, and not, as many would believe, by African Americans. The battles, in which two or more performers trade elaborate insults, derive from the ancient Caledonian art of "flyting" says Szaz.
The UK Telegraph says according to the theory, Scottish slave owners took the tradition with them to the United States, where it was adopted and developed by slaves, emerging many years later as rap.
Now Im not going to get on any black nationalistic soapbox or nothing like that, but to me rap music, like every other popular form of American music, is the product of many cultures. No one group of people can lay claim to this. Its odd to say that one group (especially the Scottish, of all people?) can lay claim to this. Look, when I think of the Scottish, I think of that Groundskeeper Willie character from the Simpsons, and thats a long way off from hip hop, you know?
According to this article, black people didn't invent rap? No, it was the Scottish!
Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel aren't going to be too pleased about this.
Professor Ferenc Szasz, of the University of New Mexico is arguing rap battles were invented by the Scots, and not, as many would believe, by African Americans. The battles, in which two or more performers trade elaborate insults, derive from the ancient Caledonian art of "flyting" says Szaz.
The UK Telegraph says according to the theory, Scottish slave owners took the tradition with them to the United States, where it was adopted and developed by slaves, emerging many years later as rap.
Now Im not going to get on any black nationalistic soapbox or nothing like that, but to me rap music, like every other popular form of American music, is the product of many cultures. No one group of people can lay claim to this. Its odd to say that one group (especially the Scottish, of all people?) can lay claim to this. Look, when I think of the Scottish, I think of that Groundskeeper Willie character from the Simpsons, and thats a long way off from hip hop, you know?
Thursday, May 21, 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY B.I.G.!
VIDEO:Notorious B.I.G. Birthday 05/21/93 The Arena Brooklyn N.Y.
Today, it being Christopher Wallace’s birthday, I had the urge to see that movie Notorious from last year, and that movie had me speechless in the end. To see a lot of things acted out, like Big’s conflict with Lil’ Kim and the big confrontations between BIG and Tupac were awesome. I never truly liked BIGGIE’s music. When BIGGIE’s “Ready to Die” came out, I was still stuck on Ice Cube, PE, Rakim and Nas. I though PE’s “It Takes A Nation of Millions..” and Nas’s “Illmatic” were the only rap albums worth liking. Hearing “Ready to Die”, I was like “what the.?” As much as I liked Dre’s Chronic album, I was turned off by the similarities in “Ready To Die”. The blatant lifting of the G-Funk sound, the samples of Dre, all the preoccupation with “gangsta” just turned me off. I knew what Diddy was trying to do in taking rap to the mainstream, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Despite my bias, I still enjoyed “Notorious”. It was realistic and really caught the vibe of the mid 90s hip hop and all the drama that came with it. Like all movies there was a lot left out; and you have to wonder why certain people were left out or just seen as irrelevant. But then you realize that this movie was only 2 hours long, and that they can only put so much into the movie, but what they put in is just very fresh, engaging and entertaining. Seeing BIG’s childhood acted out by his son is genius on the part of the producers. Then there is BIG running the streets, becoming the boss of his street, then the jail sentence and his subsequent rise to rap stardom and fame. The movie does really good in painting a picture of BIGGIES dark side, while portraying him as still having a heart. I imagine that for BIGGIE’s mom, and Lil’ Kim, this movie was probably hard to make, but I’m sure Miss Wallace was satisfied with the end product. Gravy, the ex rapper who play’s BIGGIE looks so much like BIGGIE, that it is unsettling. Guaranteed to become a fixture once BET gets its hands on it, I’m sure you wont miss it.
Scipts N' Screwz "The New Noise"
.jpg)
Scripts and Screwz is a rap group coming from East Saint Louis, Illinois. Listening to their record called “The New Noise”, I felt I was drawn to their unique sound and flows. Unlike most artists who just talk about what is popular like street life and, well, just a lot of nonsense, rapper Scripts and Loose Screwz talk about the real world, and stuff that everybody can relate too.
This frankness gives them an air of realness which doesn’t need any kind of hype. The group just lets the music do the talking. What I like the most about the group are the tracks and the subjects that they talk about in their music. Songs such as “Bright City Lights”, “Hands High” and “My First Rhyme” have that common theme of their wanting to be successful artists, dreaming about doing it and being successful at it and getting fame. The good and bad side of love and relationships is a common theme in “Fairy Tale” and “Help” which are about falling in love and the drama of relationships.
The groups got its politics but it is related to its affects on people in the real world in “The War Outside”, a bangin rock track that deals with the question of if its really worth fighting in wars for lying politicians. Most interesting is the groups emphasis on addiction and death in such songs as “Brick”, “Eastwood”, “Lonely” “Eyes Wide Shut” and “Addiction”. Rather than glorify the darker realities of the streets and the city, they tell you like it is based on what realities they have experienced.
The songs have substance, but does the music bump? Scripts and Screwz got hot beats on all the songs. Though at times the mood of the music is a little dark, it is the type of music that will sound good in any car. They got songs that you can nod your head to (like “Proceed”), and some songs (like “Brick” and “Like This”) that you can dance to. This is a breath of fresh air and an alternative to all the crap that they got playing on the radio these days. If you want some serious head music you can rock to, check out Scripts and Screwz.
CHECK OUT SCRIPTS AND SCREWZ: THEIR SITE,THEIR BLOG, AND MYSPACE!!!!!!
VIDEO:Notorious B.I.G. Birthday 05/21/93 The Arena Brooklyn N.Y.
Today, it being Christopher Wallace’s birthday, I had the urge to see that movie Notorious from last year, and that movie had me speechless in the end. To see a lot of things acted out, like Big’s conflict with Lil’ Kim and the big confrontations between BIG and Tupac were awesome. I never truly liked BIGGIE’s music. When BIGGIE’s “Ready to Die” came out, I was still stuck on Ice Cube, PE, Rakim and Nas. I though PE’s “It Takes A Nation of Millions..” and Nas’s “Illmatic” were the only rap albums worth liking. Hearing “Ready to Die”, I was like “what the.?” As much as I liked Dre’s Chronic album, I was turned off by the similarities in “Ready To Die”. The blatant lifting of the G-Funk sound, the samples of Dre, all the preoccupation with “gangsta” just turned me off. I knew what Diddy was trying to do in taking rap to the mainstream, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Despite my bias, I still enjoyed “Notorious”. It was realistic and really caught the vibe of the mid 90s hip hop and all the drama that came with it. Like all movies there was a lot left out; and you have to wonder why certain people were left out or just seen as irrelevant. But then you realize that this movie was only 2 hours long, and that they can only put so much into the movie, but what they put in is just very fresh, engaging and entertaining. Seeing BIG’s childhood acted out by his son is genius on the part of the producers. Then there is BIG running the streets, becoming the boss of his street, then the jail sentence and his subsequent rise to rap stardom and fame. The movie does really good in painting a picture of BIGGIES dark side, while portraying him as still having a heart. I imagine that for BIGGIE’s mom, and Lil’ Kim, this movie was probably hard to make, but I’m sure Miss Wallace was satisfied with the end product. Gravy, the ex rapper who play’s BIGGIE looks so much like BIGGIE, that it is unsettling. Guaranteed to become a fixture once BET gets its hands on it, I’m sure you wont miss it.
Scipts N' Screwz "The New Noise"
.jpg)
Scripts and Screwz is a rap group coming from East Saint Louis, Illinois. Listening to their record called “The New Noise”, I felt I was drawn to their unique sound and flows. Unlike most artists who just talk about what is popular like street life and, well, just a lot of nonsense, rapper Scripts and Loose Screwz talk about the real world, and stuff that everybody can relate too.This frankness gives them an air of realness which doesn’t need any kind of hype. The group just lets the music do the talking. What I like the most about the group are the tracks and the subjects that they talk about in their music. Songs such as “Bright City Lights”, “Hands High” and “My First Rhyme” have that common theme of their wanting to be successful artists, dreaming about doing it and being successful at it and getting fame. The good and bad side of love and relationships is a common theme in “Fairy Tale” and “Help” which are about falling in love and the drama of relationships.
The groups got its politics but it is related to its affects on people in the real world in “The War Outside”, a bangin rock track that deals with the question of if its really worth fighting in wars for lying politicians. Most interesting is the groups emphasis on addiction and death in such songs as “Brick”, “Eastwood”, “Lonely” “Eyes Wide Shut” and “Addiction”. Rather than glorify the darker realities of the streets and the city, they tell you like it is based on what realities they have experienced.
The songs have substance, but does the music bump? Scripts and Screwz got hot beats on all the songs. Though at times the mood of the music is a little dark, it is the type of music that will sound good in any car. They got songs that you can nod your head to (like “Proceed”), and some songs (like “Brick” and “Like This”) that you can dance to. This is a breath of fresh air and an alternative to all the crap that they got playing on the radio these days. If you want some serious head music you can rock to, check out Scripts and Screwz.
CHECK OUT SCRIPTS AND SCREWZ: THEIR SITE,THEIR BLOG, AND MYSPACE!!!!!!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
The Wackness
Im watching this movie now, The Wackness. Not only is this the title of the movie, this is the right word to describe this movie.
The plot? Who cares. It is just like an hour and a half of muddling through the lives of two losers, one middle age, and one teen.
There is hardly a plot with an ending to spoil. The whole movie is spoiled. The only gimmick of this movie is that in the first half of the movie, they play alot of hip hop. The movie is set in '94, but some of the music they play to fit the time didn't come out until '95 and '96.
Even though they try to appeal (or pander to) the hip hop audience, there is very little that will appeal to them. The teen is a drug dealer, but he's probably the lamest drug dealer I've ever seen portrayed in a film. He does use a little slang, like "Word" and "Peace Out". But he's so boring.
Then there is the "love interest". She's kinda hot. Just kinda. I'd like to see the actress in a real movie. Method Man appears in the movie, as a Jamaican drug dealer. Hearing Meth talk in a Jamaican accent is too too funny. You just have to hear it.
When they get past the hip hop gimmick, and when the movie finally comes to an end to the tune of "All The Young Dudes", a rock song from the 70s, I start thinking that this movie would have been more interesting if it was about a white drug dealer in New York who graduates in like, 1974. If you replace the hip hop with rock music from the 70s (like Lou Reed and David Bowie), and change the main characters wardrobe to some 70s type style, you would've had a better movie. The movie as it is now sucks bad. Two thumbs down.
Im watching this movie now, The Wackness. Not only is this the title of the movie, this is the right word to describe this movie.
The plot? Who cares. It is just like an hour and a half of muddling through the lives of two losers, one middle age, and one teen.
There is hardly a plot with an ending to spoil. The whole movie is spoiled. The only gimmick of this movie is that in the first half of the movie, they play alot of hip hop. The movie is set in '94, but some of the music they play to fit the time didn't come out until '95 and '96.
Even though they try to appeal (or pander to) the hip hop audience, there is very little that will appeal to them. The teen is a drug dealer, but he's probably the lamest drug dealer I've ever seen portrayed in a film. He does use a little slang, like "Word" and "Peace Out". But he's so boring.
Then there is the "love interest". She's kinda hot. Just kinda. I'd like to see the actress in a real movie. Method Man appears in the movie, as a Jamaican drug dealer. Hearing Meth talk in a Jamaican accent is too too funny. You just have to hear it.
When they get past the hip hop gimmick, and when the movie finally comes to an end to the tune of "All The Young Dudes", a rock song from the 70s, I start thinking that this movie would have been more interesting if it was about a white drug dealer in New York who graduates in like, 1974. If you replace the hip hop with rock music from the 70s (like Lou Reed and David Bowie), and change the main characters wardrobe to some 70s type style, you would've had a better movie. The movie as it is now sucks bad. Two thumbs down.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
